Community soapbox time, where opinions from around the fandom are dropped down below for you all to discuss and debate! Expect these posts normally when not late every Tuesday at2:00 PM MST. To submit your own, see this post.

Headlines for the week:

What if the map is hinting a next-gen Elements of Harmony?

Having Friends versus Having Fans

Applejack’s arc- where can she go from here?

Starlight's true power

The Writers are in a Bind

And get your soapboxes below!

What if the map is hinting a next-gen Elements of Harmony?

By: MegaSean45

First we had the Pillars of Harmony, which created the Elements of Harmony! Are the Elements gonna last forever though? Let's say something happens to them, what's Equestria gonna use to defend the land against villains? Well, there is a chance that the map already told us!

Originally, it was only the Mane 6 who went on missions because of their connection to the elements, until Starlight got summoned, then Spike, then the CMCs, then Sunburst! That's a total of SIX non-Mane 6 characters that got summoned by the map! There's a chance for other characters getting summoned though, but until then, my theory stands! Oh I didn't say what my theory was yet? Well, it's pretty obvious, isn't it?

So I got the feeling the next-generation of Elements of Harmony could be Starlight, Spike, CMCs, and Sunburst with completely new kind of Elements that are connected to the previous gens! Like Flash Magnus' bravery which created Rainbow's loyalty which creates Scootaloo's courage! Apple Bloom could have Unity, Sweetie Belle with Playfulness, Starlight with Empathy, Sunburst with Knowledge, and Spike with Acceptance! These pretty much fit each character and can connect to the Elements and Pillars in some way!

Having Friends versus Having Fans

By: Moonlit Stones

I have seen a lot of cartoon characters have somewhat cheesy fame. But can we determine how the folks think of you after it's all gone?

Fame can a very dark mistress. It can make the best people seem terrible, and it tears friendships apart like butter. Vignette Valencia from the Equestria Girls Rolller Coaster of Friendship is a prime example. As most fans know, Vignette is a big social media star, a cartoon Kim Kardashian. She just likes to post about everything she does, like being at the beach, showcasing a new hair style, etc. She just loves being the center of attention. Her popularity and influence undermines others; for example, she tries to use Rarity's vision as a springboard for hers. She doesn't really care about whose reputation or friendships her fame destroys, as long as she looks good in the eyes of social media.

After her phone is destroyed near the end of the show, and all her plans are ruined, Vignette does feel some remorse for all the trouble she caused and that was really lonely, Rarity and Applejack forgive her.

In truth, the fame doesn't matter; what matters is the real friendships you make happen.

Applejack’s arc- where can she go from here?

By: Nightmare Muffin

In a really good video by Dr. Wolf, he ponders where AJ can go and be challenged from this point on. He brings up the points of changing status quo by having her deal with loss of family now that it has been brought closer than ever by learning of the parents and their background, and getting a new grandparent in the process, but also having to possibly deal with the fact that Big Mac wants and needs to move out to be with Sugar Belle, and Granny Smith’s health deteriorating and having to be put in a care center It would be an interesting twist for AJ to deal with the fact that her family is going through changes for the better and for the worse (possibly simultaneously), but both are following or being put on branched paths that don’t have either of her closest family members with her on the farm anymore. In addition, with only Apple Bloom by her side on a constant basis, (which isn’t a certainty anymore, now that she’s growing up, finding her own path in life with her friends, and being called outside of Equestria by the cutie map, now) I’d like to see AJ- perhaps in a moment’s desperation- try to turn to Flim and Flam for help, maybe offering them a chance to turn away from their money making schemes, to work permanently on the farm with her, for the extra help. Perhaps we see more of Grand Pear and Burnt Oak as well, offering comfort to AJ, when she’s stressed and at her limit regarding an uncertain future without her closest family around, as they used to be. As the level-headed, grounded leader, it’d be heartbreaking but refreshing to see her at a loss, scared, stressed, and uncertain to the point of a complete meltdown about these changes.

Starlight's true power

By: Indiana

I think i've cracked the code for why Starlight is so powerful. Actually she even said it herself in S7E2 but i didn't realize what it meant at that time. Starlight might actually be not only the most powerful unicorn in Equestria but the most powerful even among the alicorns. That doesn't mean she is all powerful since she could still be overpowered by a group or even charged up alicorn Twilight from the S4 finale. But the point is that her max potential for magic could be huge because she gets more powerful the more she feels. Her cutie mark represents pretty much like Broly from DBZ for those who know who/what he is. Broly was fueled by rage witch is also an emotion even if it's just one and mostly negative. Starlight on the other hand has shown that she can be fueled equally well by both positive and negative emotions. Remember the recent episode where Starlight blasted Discord to smithereens? That was from feelings as well. When she practiced vs Twilight in S6, that power was from feelings of excitement. Bottom line, Starlight has never shown her full power potential but she did show a lot of it and i believe that if she does feel an overflowing amount of mixed emotions one day, her "emotion" based magic will show it's true colors as the most powerful single source based magic( This means i am excluding things like the elements of harmony or x4 alicorn Twilight)

The Writers are in a Bind

By: Burt R. the Spirit Guide

Season 8 of MLP hasn't exactly been held in high regard. Most complaints center about characters being dumbed down, or poor rehashes of previous episodes, or episodes that are rejected stories from Seasons 1 and 2. Some fans have taken it to the writers themselves on Twitter, such as what happened with Nicole Dubuc after "A Matter of Principals". But I think that those vocal fans have put the writers in a Catch-22 from the start. Let's say the writers chose to shift the spotlight of Season 8 towards the Student 6 instead of the Mane 6. People would bring their pitchforks and torches over that on Twitter and /mlp/, kind of like what is already happening right now. They would get mad if they shifted the focus to the Student 6, and they would get mad if they kept the focus on the Mane 6, a lose-lose situation. So to say the writers are losing their talents is a little bit unfair to them.